Method of making a shoe



Nov. 6, 1956 F. L.. AYERS METHOD OF' MAKING A SHOE Filed Oct. 8, 1953 2,769,189 l METHOD oF MAKING A SHOE Fred L. Ayers, Watertown, Mass. Application october s, 1953, serial No. 384,919

1 claim. (c1. 12-14z) This invention relates toshoes particularly suitable for small children who are learning to walk and to the method of making such shoes.

These shoes are provided with sole extensions at the heel ends presenting laterally straight rear edges which act during walking to point the chi-lds feet correctly.

One object of the invention is to so construct the sole extension lthat it is not likely to become bent upwardly at its rear corners during service, which bending would detract from the desired function of the extension.

A further object is to present a pleasing appearance produced by presenting a vertically rounded rear edge made possible by bending a layer around a stiff filler.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had lto the accompanying drawings in which- Figure l is a perspective view of an inverted lasted shoe ready for the attachment of an outersole and embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the shoe showing the outersole member stapled thereto.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, but showing the stitching securing the rear end of the outersole, and the stapled portion cut off.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary central sectional view through the heel portion of the lasted shoe showing the outersole applied.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l, but showing a modified construction.

Figure 6 is a detail sectional view similar to Figure 4, but showing the construction of Figure 5 with the outersole about to be attached.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a further modification for a shoe having a close edge heel and of the cemented type.

Figure 8 is a view similar to Figures 4 and 6, but showing a shoe of the type illustrated in Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view similar to Figures 1 and 5, but showing a further modification.

Referring first `to the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, there is illustrated an inverted shoe which may or may not have been lasted, and having an upper 1 and an innersole 2 secured together as by the stitching 3, the shoe upper having an outwardly extending flange about its lower end as at 4 for attachment to the innersole 2. At a suitable time the shoe is slip lasted, as shown in Figure 4. The innersole 2 is provided with a rearwardly extending edge portion 5. To this edge portion 5 there may be secured, as by staples 6, the rear end portion of a sheet material outersole 7 which is preferably skived at its rear end to form a thin layer. This layer is secured to the top face of the inverted innersole as by the staples 6, the main portion of the outersole extending downwardly along the upper as shown in Figure 1.

The rear thin portion of the innersole and the flange of the upper and the innersole may then be secured together somewhat forwardly of the staples 6 as rby a line of stitching 10, shown in Figures 3 and 4, after which Y 2,769,189 Patented Nov. 6, 1956 ICC,

the portion at the rear thereof which contains the staples 6 is cut off as shown in Figure 3, forming a laterally straight rear edge.

The initial securement by stapling facilitates the assembly of the outersole member in proper relation to the other shoe elements, but where it is possible to hold the parts sufficiently well to insure such proper securement by the stitching itself, this initial stapling operation followed by cutting off of the stapled portion may be dispensed with.

In any event, it is desired that the rear edge portion of the outersole be secured to the innersole and to the upper flange bythe line of stitching 10 and that these parts prescnt a laterally straight rear edge which should be of a length at least one half the maximum width of the heel portion of the shoe. The outersole having been secured by the stitching 10, a heel stiifening element 11 which may be of hard fiber sheet material, and having a rear straight edge, is assembled on the heel portion of the innersole as shown in Figure 4 with its rear straight edge mating the rear straight edge of the innersole, whereupon the outersole is folded around these rear edges and is brought forwardly over .the stilfening element 11 and is secured in position to the innersole and to the stiffening element. The edges of the sole elements are thereafter trimmed and the shoe is completed in any usual manner.

Instead of forming the wrapper for the rear ends of the innersole and reinforcing element from an outersole member, this wrapper may be formed as shown in Figures 5 and 6 as a portion of an outside back stay 12. This back stay is narrowed on its back stay portion and is preferably flared below it and may be skived to present a thin wrapping portion at 1S as shown in Figure 5.

The heel stiifener 11 having been applied to the lower face of the innersole 2, as shown in Figure 6, the wrapping portion 15 of the back stay is brought over into wrapping engagement with the rear edges of the upper flange 4, the innersole 2, and the stilfener 11 and is brought forwardly under the lower face of the stifiener and there secured as by cement as shown in Figure 6. A separate outersole 20 is thereafter secured in position, underlying the forwardly extending margin 16 of the wrapping portion 15 and the stiffener 11 and the innersole 2 and is suitably secured in position as by cement or by stitching as is well known in the art.

The rearwardly extended portion 21 of the back stay overlying the top face of the upper flange 4 and the innersole 2 may be secured either by stitching or cement as may be desired either by a separate stitch when stitching is employed, or by outersole stitching, or the side stitch of Vthe back stay may be relied upon as shown in Figure 5.

The construction of Figures 5 and 6 are particularly suitable for boots, while the constructions of Figures l to 4 are particularly suitable for oxford shoes.

Constructions suitable for use for close edge shoes such as the cemented, and for welt or pre-welt types are shown in Figures 7 to 9, inclusive. In Figures 7 and 8 the heel and extension of the outersole is shown as produced by wrapping the rear end portion of an outersole member 25 about the laterally straight rear edge of the heel stiffener 11 and securing it in position as by cementing. The unit outersole thus made may be secured to the lasted shoe as by cement with the rear straight edge portions extended rearwardly of the main portion of the shoe upper as is shown in Figure 8, the outersole being applied after the shoe has been lasted.

Where the outersole is to be attached by outersole stitching, or the like, the arrangement shown in Figure 9 may be employed, where instead of forming the outersole unit separately and then applying it -to the lasted shoe, the outersole is applied with its main portion extending rearwardly from the lasted shoe, its rear preferably thinned 3 edge portion 26 being applied extending forwardly wi respect to the heel seat of the shoe where it may be secured as by nails or staples at 27 or by cement. The stiffening element 11 is then placed in position on this thinned portion 26 with the shoe inverted and the remainder of the outersole may then be folded over the stiener and brought forwardly and secured in position to the lasted shoe by any suitable method such as cementing, nailing, or the like, and the shoe iinished in the usual manner.

It will be noted that in each of the constructions shown, the rearwardly extended portion of the sole which projects backwardly of the main portion of the upper presents a laterally straight rear edge and is reinforced by the stitfening element so that, particularly, the rear corners may not be bent upwardly out of shape during the use of the shoe. In each construction, moreover, it is to be noted that the stiener element is covered over by a wrapping sheet material piece which presents a vertically rounded rear edge of pleasing appearance and presenting shoe material matching the adjacent portions of the shoe whether the outersole tread surface, or the outside back stay.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various further changes and modications may be made without departing from its spirit or scope.

The method which comprises securing the rearwardly directed rear end portion of a shoe outersole member to the rearward portion of an innersole extending rearwardly from a shoe upper to which said innersole has been secured and lasted, stitching said innersole and outersole together forwardlyof said nsecurement, cutting 01T said innersole and outersole between said stitching and securement along a transverse line, and then folding said outersole about the line of cut to enclose the cut rear ends of said inner and outersole and bringing the remainder of said outersole forwardly underlying said member and a reinforcing stiiening heel member applied to the lower face of said innersole at the heel end, and securing said remainder to said innersole and to said reinforcing heel member.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

